Akpo Sodje has been released on a month’s loan to Macclesfield Town as Tranmere get on with a ‘business as usual’ approach in the absence of suspended manager Ronnie Moore.

Sodje, a 34-year-old striker, has made fewer than a dozen senior appearances this season and has not figured in the first team since November, although he has been a regular for the reserves in recent weeks.

Sodje is one of two Tranmere players who were arrested in December as part of a police investigation into spot fixing allegations and bailed until April. Long-serving centre-back Ian Goodison is the other.

Caretaker manager John McMahon said: “Akpo has gone to Macclesfield initially for a month. He has not been getting games for us and it is in the interests of the player to go out and get matches.

“It will benefit him and ultimately may benefit the club as well.”

Tranmere have been looking to release players from the wage bill for several weeks, in order to create funds to strengthen the squad before the deadline falls on loan deals in around a month’s time.

McMahon said: “We will get Saturday’s game out of the way. Then we will take stock of where we might like to strengthen the squad, where we need to strengthen and where we don’t have to strengthen.”

McMahon took charge of team affairs on Monday after Tranmere announced they were suspending Moore until the conclusion of an FA investigation into the 61-year-old manager’s betting activity.

A highly-regarded coach who has served Tranmere under several managers, McMahon worked as assistant to Moore for the past two years and previously supported former boss Les Parry.

He briefly held the first-team reins once before, stepping up from youth team responsibilities for three games during September and October of the 2003-04 season, between the departure of Ray Mathias and the appointment of Brian Little.

Under McMahon, Tranmere posted a home win over Wycombe Wanderers in his first game, then lost on visits to Luton and Plymouth, who went on to finish as champions.

McMahon says he spent most of the first few days of his time in charge this week in “trains and automobiles” as Tranmere made the long trip to Crawley Town for a League One fixture on Tuesday that was called off little more than an hour before kick-off.

He finally began working with the squad on the training ground yesterday, with other members of the coaching staff helping out.

McMahon said: “We are going about our business as usual – and as far as I’m concerned, that is what it is, business as usual. Until such time as we are told otherwise, we will just prepare for games.”

"Three Cs key to beating drop"

Tranmere Rovers' James Wallace

James Wallace reckons Tranmere’s ability to get on top of the three Cs will hold the key to their prospects of avoiding the drop.

The skipper identifies consistency, concentration and conceding poor goals at areas where Rovers must improve.

They entertain Coventry City tomorrow seeking to brush up on a home record showing just three League One wins at Prenton Park this season.

Wallace said: “I think our home record is partly down to the fact that we have conceded too many sloppy goals here.

“We have not started games well and fallen behind. I think that’s got to be one of the key points for us.

“We’ve played well in periods of games at home but it is frustrating we’ve not been able to put 90 minute performances together. In our last home game we had Preston on the back foot and then let them score a goal which killed us.

“It is affecting the players when you keep on conceding. We have to concentrate better.”

Even so, Wallace believes performances have shown steady improvement since the turn of the year, with a record showing wins over Crewe Alexandra and MK Dons, draws against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall and Bristol City last weekend and defeats to Peterborough, Rotherham and Preston, the last two of them at home.

Wallace said: “Consistency is what we have lacked all season. We’ve not strung back to back wins together and I think it’s essential we start putting results together quickly. We are capable of doing that.”

Wallace reckons the midfield trio of Steve Jennings, Jason Koumas and himself have become more influential in recent weeks.

“I think we have picked up and started to play more like a steady team,” he said. “I think we’ve started to click. I think we’re starting to get used to the three in the middle and this is the best way forward for us.”

Wallace insists he is getting back to his physical peak, almost three months after ending a year-long layoff with a knee ligament injury.

He said: “I was nervous when I first came back into the team at Coventry back in November. I was really scared about coming on to the pitch, worried about how I would play. Being sent off in the game against Wolves (on New Year’s Day) affected me quite a lot because of the time I was starting to play better.

“I had a month back on the sidelines which was frustrating after all the time I’ve spent out with the injury.

“I’m just starting to get back to a little bit of the sharpness and match fitness I had. I can feel myself getting better and better.”